The Lost Memories
by lucky.ninja
Summary: When he awoke in a hospital room, he had no recollection of who he was or where he was from, everything was just a blur to him. He had no memories of his past, but with the help of a certain pinkette who claims to be his friend, Naruto Uzumaki goes in search of finding his lost memories.
1. Naruto Uzumaki

**Author's Note:** It has been a very long time since I have written anything, but I just recently got back into Naruto and after reading several awesome fanfics on here about the pairing of Naruto and Sakura, I wanted to give it a try. Hopefully you enjoy it!

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**Naruto Uzumaki**

It was quiet.

When his eyes slowly came open, he found himself staring up at the fluorescent lights. They were almost blinding to him, causing his eyes to squint close as they adjusted to the brightness. His breathing was steady and he could feel the IV in his arm. Swallowing hard, the young man turned his head slowly and saw the IV drip beside his bed. He didn't remember how he got there, nor did he remember this place at all.

Nothing was familiar, it was all foreign and strange.

His body ached as he forced himself to sit up. The natural light from the window shone through and when he looked at it, he found that it was open. A breeze came through, ruffling the white curtains, causing them to flap. Lifting his hand to his head, he groaned slightly and tried to remember what had happened to him. Everything was drawing blanks though, where he was, who he was, and why he was even there to begin with.

All he really knew was that he was sore and he was in a hospital. Running his fingers through his hair, the young man swung his legs from the bed. He began scooting towards the edge when he bare feet touched the smooth and cool linoleum floor. Grunting, he forced himself to stand on shaking knees. He held his arms out to help him balance and felt the IV wire tapping against his side. His eyes widened in surprise when he found himself in a mere blue gown and nothing else.

Not even undergarments.

After a few seconds of standing and feeling his legs come to life, he took a wobbly step forward. He felt a bit dizzy and his body was almost numb like it wasn't even there. Letting out a breath to calm himself, he took another step and stopped when he heard someone knock on the door. His eyes darted for it and he stood tall as the door slowly came open.

"Naruto? You shouldn't be up, your wounds still haven't healed fully," a young woman with the greenest eyes and creamiest skin he'd ever seen spoke. His eyes looked to her hair next and he furrowed his brows.

Her hair was pink like roses in the garden pink.

Like cherry blossom pink.

"Sit back down, idiot," she scolded him as she shut the door. Her petite frame was clad in a pale cream colored nurse outfit. When he continued to just stand there, she gave him a weird look and placed her hand on his shoulder. "What's the matter?" she questioned curiously as she pushed him back down onto the bed gently.

Her hair, her eyes, her skin, it was all very beautiful to him. It was also a bit strange, but he found it oddly appealing to look at. She didn't wear a name tag, so he didn't know her name, but she seemed to know him fairly well.

"How are you feeling, Naruto?" she asked him, tilting her head in a concerned manner.

He blinked a few times, but remained silent as he stared at her.

"Naruto?" She had a worried look on her face and lowered her gaze to where she was looking directly into his eyes. "Say something." She gestured for him to speak, but he just stared at her.

_Is that my name? Naruto? _he wondered as he continued to stare at her. She put her hand on his forehead to see if he was running a fever, but he felt normal. Just as she was about to pull her hand away, he grabbed her wrist. It startled her and caused her to drop the clipboard she had been carrying. The pinkette stared into his eyes and shook her head, looking so very confused. His hold on her was very tight and it was almost hurting her.

"You're hurting me, Naruto, let go," she stated simply as she tried to pull her wrist free. He felt her tugging, so he let go and she stepped back. "What's the matter with you?" she asked coolly.

He stared at her for a moment and looked down at the clipboard that fell between them. Written at the top of the paper attached to the board by the metal clip was: NARUTO UZUMAKI. He could only assume that that was his name.

"What's with the cryptic act, Naruto? You're scaring me!" the young woman snapped at him and he looked up from the clipboard to meet her eyes. They were filled with so much concern and worry, it was obvious that he had been important to her. What he didn't understand was how could he be so important to her, when he had no clue who she was. "Say something, you moron!" she growled, clenching her fist at her sides.

"I'm sorry," he began slowly, his voice hoarse from many days of silence, "I have no idea who you are."

She stared at him in shock and cleared her throat. "What?" she breathed, shaking her head like she couldn't believe what he had just said to her.

"I don't know who you are," he repeated himself. "I don't even remember how I got here."


	2. Sakura Haruno

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone! Here's another chapter for you and thank you **enchanted-nova, Boom23, **and **MoonlightDoom **for the comments and also thank you to those who favorite and have followed. I truly appreciate it, you guys rock! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

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**Sakura Haruno**

Tsunade was examining him with such intrigue. She said that aside from his memory loss, he was a picture of health. His wounds were almost completely healed, his blood pressure was fine, his breathing fine, and he was moving fine as well. As she finished up her examination on the boy, she turned to look at Sakura.

Her student was leaning against the wall, clutching the clipboard to her chest. Tsunade smiled weakly, hoping it would her apprentice down. The pinkette pushed off of the wall and looked at the busty blonde women in question. She sighed softly and gestured for Sakura to follow her out of the room. When they both stepped out, Tsunade closed the door and lead Sakura a little ways down the hallway.

"I need you to listen to me, Sakura," Tsunade began and the young woman nodded her head, "I'm not sure if this is permanent, but right now he has no idea of who he is or who we are."

"Is there a way to fix it?" Sakura asked, but Tsunade shrugged her shoulders. When it came to amnesia there was no telling what could happen. There were so many possibilities, he could start his life over or maybe one day he could remember everything he's lost. "What all has he forgotten?" she inquired.

"Well," Tsunade paused for a moment and looked around the empty hospital corridor, "I have no way of telling, we'll just have to find out and see." She gave Sakura a soft smile, when she fell gently against the wall and let out a heavy and defeated sigh. This was not good, of all the things she expect to happen to Naruto losing his memories was not one of them.

"What should we do now?" Sakura asked, biting her lip.

"We'll watch him and hope that his memories come back," Tsunade explained, looking down at the ground. Sakura could see in those amber eyes that she wasn't too sure his memories would be coming back.

"What if they don't come back?" Sakura questioned, hoping that Tsunade had an answer for that question. When their eyes met, Tsunade opened her mouth to speak, but only let out a breath of air. In that moment, Sakura knew that if Naruto's memories didn't come back the boy she'd known since she was a little girl would be lost forever. "Is there anything I could do to help him remember?" she asked.

"Take him to places he loved, maybe that can do something," Tsunade explained with a weak smile.

"Do you think Ino could do anything?" Sakura asked, thinking about the mind walker. Maybe there was a small chance that Ino could find Naruto memories and give them back to him. Tsunade wasn't sure what the Yamanaka girl would be able to do, but she didn't see why they couldn't at least try.

"It's worth trying," Tsunade said with a nod. "Why don't you spend the day with him and see what he's like. I want a full report by tomorrow at noon."

"Yes ma'am," Sakura replied and looked at the door to Naruto's room. She was hoping that he would regain his memory soon. When she looked back to Tsunade, the woman placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Nodding, Sakura made her way to the nurse's lounge to grab her things and change out of her uniform.

It didn't take her long to get to the nurse's lounge. As she was changing in the private bathroom they had, she couldn't stop thinking about how different things would be if Naruto couldn't regain his memory. He already didn't seem like himself, but that could have been because he was so confused. The way he had grabbed her and looked at her, it was like he had been searching for who she was. She placed her hand on the wrist that he had grabbed and rubbed it gently.

Sakura hoped that after seeing all their friends and walking around the village would trigger his memories. If it didn't though, she wondered what they would do. She wondered how he would change. Would he still be that goofy kid that loved ramen and wanted to be the Hokage? Would he still be the Hero of the Leaf Village? Would he still be the shinobi who saved all the Great Shinobi Nations? Or would he be a stranger that she would have to learn all over again? Shaking her head, Sakura told herself to remain positive.

She buttoned up her blouse and fixed up her hair, combing it with her fingers. Letting out a breath, Sakura crossed her fingers for the best and nodded to herself in the mirror. Grabbing her courier bag, Sakura slung it onto her shoulder and walked back out into the lounge. She smiled when Tsunade walked in and was holding onto Naruto's clothes. Taking the clothes from Tsunade, Sakura smiled and clutched Naruto's orange and black jacket to her chest.

"Take it slow, Sakura, you could really freak him out if we're not careful. He doesn't have any of his declarative memory and while he isn't freaking out yet, going out there and not remembering any of the places or friends or facts about himself might push him over the edge," Tsunade cautioned the young woman.

"I'll be careful," Sakura assured her mentor with a smile and glanced at the clothes in her arms. "Let's hope for the best." The pinkette walked out of the room and Tsunade watched her go.

As Sakura made her way down the empty hall to Naruto's room, she looked out at the courtyard, seeing a few patient enjoying the late summer weather. It was sunny and not too hot to just lay out and waste the day away. She took the weather as a good sign that Naruto would be okay, but she didn't want to get her hopes up too high. Stopping in front of her teammates door, Sakura knocked softly and announced that she was coming in. When she heard no reply, she carefully and quietly walked in.

"OH MY GOD!" Sakura yelped when she saw Naruto, standing completely naked in the middle of the room with his hospital gown on the floor by his feet. The pinkette whirled around quickly and felt her cheeks burning red. "What the hell are you doing, Naruto Uzumaki?" she growled as she buried her face in his clothes.

"I didn't remember my body, I was just checking it out," Naruto stated simply and Sakura groaned, tossing his clothes to him without turning around. She had seen him shirtless before, but she had never seen his lower regions before. "Are these my clothes?" he asked.

Sakura glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of his penis again, which made her face turn red again, her ears were probably red too by this point. "Yeah, now put them on...please," Sakura begged as she stood in the doorway.

"Did I like orange?" he inquired and Sakura could hear him getting dressed. She slowly turned around and watched him pull his pants on over his boxers.

"You've worn orange since we were kids," Sakura replied with a smile.

"You've known me that long?" he asked, sounding completely surprised and Sakura raised a brow. She wondered why that was so surprising to him.

"Yeah we went to the Ninja Academy together and we're also teammates," Sakura explained to him. Naruto stared at her for a moment as he unfolded his black t-shirt and slipped it on over his washboard abs. She hated to admit it, but Naruto looked really sexy. Those thoughts she had to keep on lockdown though, she had to get his memories back.

"Ninja?" Naruto repeated and Sakura bit her lip, nodding her head slowly. The blond boy with those electrifying blue eyes seemed dubious. It was so weird for Sakura to see him so doubtful, the Naruto she knew was so dedicated to his way of life, being a ninja and dreaming of becoming the Hokage. "So you're a ninja too?" he asked, pointing at her as she slipping on his jacket, leaving it unzipped.

"Yeah, I am," Sakura replied with a single nod as she looked him over. His tight fitting black t-shirt clung to his body, his muscles completely evident beneath them. Biting her lip, Sakura told herself to keep her mind out of the gutter and smiled at him. "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat," Naruto answered, rolling up the sleeves to his jacket. Already he was different just by how he wore his jacket in this sexy and alluring manner. His eyes seemed to be glowing with curiosity and his body was so lose, Sakura almost thought Naruto wasn't afraid of anything despite losing all his memories.

"We can go to Ichiraku's, it was always your favorite," Sakura told him.

"What's there?" he inquired, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Ramen," she said and Naruto pursed his lips, shrugging his shoulders. Now Sakura was really worried, the Naruto she knew would be jumping for joy. This one could seem to careless.


	3. Mind Walker

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone, here's another chapter for you all! Special thanks to everyone who has favorited this story and put it on their alert list! And many thanks too **narusaku1, enchanted-nova, daneththereed, Cloud Ex-SOLDIER, **and **NarutoKoibito**!

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**Mind Walker**

Naruto and Sakura had just left the hospital and were now heading towards Ichiraku Ramen in the heart of the Hidden Leaf Village. The blond boy was looking around curiously like a kid in a candy store. It was obvious he wasn't joking or lying, he didn't remember a thing. As he walked he looked like a baby deer exploring his knew surrounding with wide eyes and cautious steps. Sakura prayed he wouldn't go attacking things because that would not be good. Her green eyes watched him as he looked all around him, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells around them.

"I can't believe I saw you naked," Sakura chuckled as she shook her head. She wanted to get him talking, hoping it would trigger something in his mind. When she had spoken, Naruto gave her a quizzical look and pursed his lips. "What?"

"Well, if we were teammates and we're ninja I would have assumed we've seen each other naked before," Naruto said nonchalantly, which made Sakura's mouth fall open. Apparently this Naruto had no censors and just shot from the hip, but then again that wasn't too different at all. He always did say whatever he thought even if it was possibly insulting and worthy of being slapped across the face.

"We most certainly have not!" Sakura growled abruptly and Naruto looked at her in bewilderment. He found it slightly entertaining that she was so embarrassed about it all. "There is decency and some things that are left to the imagination," Sakura muttered quickly and Naruto chuckled a bit, placing his hands behind his head. She glanced at him and bit her lip when his shirt raised up a bit, giving her another moment to see those abs and that V cut where his pants hung loosely. Shaking her head, Sakura cursed at herself inwardly for thinking of Naruto in such ways. She was a grown woman though and she had her needs.

"Well you saw, so was it what you imagined?" Naruto inquired with a raised brow not seeming at all embarrassed by this. He was surprisingly serious and calm, which made Sakura even more flustered. Never did she expect to be showing a amnesiac Naruto around and talking about his genitals, it was just...not what she planned. "Considering from your blush I can only assume you liked what you saw." He shrugged and Sakura's eyes widened in utter horror.

"Please...please stop talking," Sakura choked out, keeping her head low and continued on down the street. Naruto blinked a few times in confusion and shrugged his shoulders.

"So how old am I?" Naruto asked curiously as they entered the market quarter of the village. It was rather crowded with people of all shapes and sizes walking around. Kids were laughing and playing 'ninja' while adults reprimanded them for getting in the way. Older folks sat outside of teahouses, chit-chatting about the latest gossip in the village. A few shinobi were gathered in small clusters, talking and laughing about their missions and days. And nothing at all seemed familiar to Naruto, it was all so new and uncharted.

"You're twenty-two," Sakura replied, glancing up at him. He was standing tall and had stopped walking, standing in the middle of the street. Sakura pictured him as a meerkat in the middle of the huge African Savanna, standing on a dirt mound and searching for predators. "You are of jounin level and you're somewhat of a dolt, but people love you anyways." Sakura shrugged her shoulders and the blond looked at her.

"A dolt?" Naruto repeated, sounding a bit amused by her simple description of him. "I don't sound very appealing."

"You're a character," Sakura assured him with a smile, waving for him to follow her. Naruto stood where he was for a few more moments before trailing after her. He didn't know what he was following her in the first place, he could do whatever he wanted. But he wasn't even sure what he wanted to begin with. "Are you remembering anything?" Sakura questioned him, looking over her shoulder.

The blond was looking at the various booths and shops they were passing. He admired the home grown vegetables, the ninja tools, the freshly baked breads, and the sweet scent of brewing tea seeping out of the tea houses. He stared at a two girls laughing at a table, munching on some dango and heard his stomach growl. Sakura walked over to him and smiled as she looked at the tea house with him.

"This place is very lively," Naruto commented and Sakura nodded her head. "I live here in this place?" he inquired.

"Yes, this is Konoha, the Hidden Leaf Village," Sakura informed him and he nodded his head, continuing to look around as he made his way down the street. She was happy to note that Naruto didn't seem scared at all, he seemed rather fascinated by everything they came across. "Come on, your favorite restaurant is right down this street," Sakura said to him, grabbing his arm and tugged him along.

About halfway down the street, Yamanaka Flower's came into view. Sakura figured that Ino would be working that afternoon and instead of letting Naruto eat first, she wanted to see what Ino though. There was no one in the village better suited for searching people's minds than the lovely Ino Yamanaka. She had just recently been made Ibiki Morino's assistant and was learning all the ropes to the Torture and Interrogation Unit. She had made quite a name for herself over the past couple of years, Sakura was certain that Ino could give them a better understanding of what happened to Naruto's memories.

"Let's stop in here real quick," Sakura suggested, pulling him into the flower shop. He didn't object, but he was curious why they were going in there. "Ino!" Sakura called out as they walked into the shop.

Naruto felt like he had been pulled into a whole other world when they entered the shop. It was like a forest with all the plants and flowers in full bloom in such vibrant colors. The smell was sweet and gentle on his nose, very pleasant and relaxing. There were four round tables that were covered by light blue clothes that contained pots and baskets full of flowers. He admired the daffodils, marigolds, and daisies as they brought such life to the room.

"Sakura, hey!" a girl with platinum blonde hair greeted with a bright smile. "Oh, Naruto, you're finally awake. Everyone was worried about you." She brushed her fringe behind her ear and walked over to them.

"Oh," Naruto replied simply, not really sure what to say about it since he had no memories of her or who she was speaking about.

"Um, Ino," Sakura began with a worried laugh, which confused the girl. "Here's the thing...Naruto has amnesia."

Ino Yamanaka's sky blue eyes widened in surprise and she looked at Naruto, who smiled cheerily and shrugged his shoulders. Clicking her tongue, Ino wiped her hands on the bright yellow apron tied around her waist and approached Naruto. She looked at him closely and could see he seemed to be the same with that goofy grin of his. It was hard to believe he lost his memory, she always figured someone who had no idea who they are or where they were would be freaking out and not lucid.

"Amnesia, huh?" Ino asked as she walked around him curiously, examining him like he was on display. Naruto followed her and blinked a few times when she stopped in front of him and smiled. "Well he's seems the same."

"Trust me, he's really not," Sakura grumbled at the thought of seeing him naked in his hospital room and then him casually asking her about his genitals. The mere thought of it caused her to shiver and her cheeks to flush pink. Naruto glanced at Sakura and stifled a laugh, knowing that she was thinking about seeing him naked again. "I was wondering if you could take a look and see if you can get his memories back."

"Sure, I don't see why not," Ino said with a shrug. "Just relax, you won't even know I'm there." The girl walked towards him and Naruto watched as she reached her hand out for his forehead. He took a step back, but Ino touched him and caused him to freeze. His eyes started to feel heavy and soon they closed.

Sakura waited patiently as Ino stood before Naruto with her pointer and middle finger resting on his forehead. Her eyes were open as she stared at Naruto, digging deep into his mind, searching for his memories. The pinkette was hopeful that Ino could find them and return them to Naruto. The mind walker closed her eyes and her brows furrowed together. Sakura didn't like the looks of that at all, she knew something was wrong.

"Ino?" Sakura called gently.

"There's nothing," Ino said moments later and opened up her eyes. "It's like facts about his daily life have been completely taken away from him. Basic skills are all still there, but his memories from his childhood are all gone," Ino explained and looked to Sakura.

"So there's nothing you can do?" Sakura asked sadly.

Ino could see the sadness in Sakura's eyes and decided to give it one more try. She closed her eyes and went back into Naruto's mind, digging for any sort of memory he had. As she searched through his mind, she found a few memories. They weren't old memories though they were recent memories that he had created upon waking up in his hospital room. She delved a little deeper into those memories and her eyes shot open.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked when Ino stepped away from Naruto and looked at her with a smirk on her face. "What?"

"You saw Naruto naked?" Ino laughed in question and Sakura gasped.

"I said to find his memories not go through them!" Sakura barked and Ino burst out into a fit of laughter as Sakura's face turned bright red.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it," Ino chuckled and looked back to Naruto, who was slowly waking back up. "In all seriousness though, he really has no memories. It's like his slate has been completely wiped clean."

"Could his memories come back?" Sakura asked, but Ino bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders. She honestly didn't know if they would or not. "This isn't good." Sakura shook her head as she looked at Naruto. His eyes slowly fluttered open and he put a hand to his head, groaning a bit.

"Uh what did you do?" Naruto grumbled as he finally regained himself.

"Sorry about that," Ino apologized, pretty sure Naruto had a mild headache going on. "The deeper I go the more likely you are to get a headache." She smiled weakly at him and he nodded slowly.

"Well did you find anything?" Naruto asked, letting his hand fall back to his side.

"Nothing old, but I did find some new ones," Ino giggled and Sakura scowled, scrunching up her nose in annoyance. Naruto tilted his head, but then he assumed that Ino had seen that Sakura found him naked in his room. He laughed lightly and put his hands behind his head. "Unfortunately there isn't anything I can do, maybe your memories will come back or maybe they won't. Only time will tell, I'm sorry." Ino frowned as she looked at the two of them.

"It's alright, you tried," Naruto told her with a shrug. "If my memories are meant to come back they will, if not...well..." he trailed off and Sakura could see that while he had been seeming to be okay with his predicament, being told that his memories were nowhere to be found affected him. Everything in his past was just erased like it had never happened, she couldn't even imagine how scary and hard that had to be.

This was Naruto though and he was stronger than anyone else she knew. She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze to comfort him. He looked at her, those alluring blue eyes made her smile and he nodded to her. "Come on, we should get some food in your stomach."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed.

"Are you taking him to Ichiraku?" Ino asked.

"Where else?" Sakura giggled as she grabbed Naruto's wrist and pulled him along.


	4. Ichiraku Ramen

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much everyone for the comments on the last chapter, they put a smile on my face and helped me write this next chapter. Hopefully you all will like it, also I know it's a little cheesy, but everyone likes the cheese, you know it! Enjoy the chapter!

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**Ichiraku Ramen**

Naruto and Sakura sat side by side at the bar awaiting for their ramen to be prepared. The pinkette had explained to the owner and his daughter that Naruto had lost his memory while out on a mission. She was hoping that his favorite bowl of ramen would trigger something, but so far Naruto didn't seemed all that thrilled to be there. When Sakura noticed this she knew that the end of the world was near, everyone always said that if Naruto stopped eating ramen something bad was going to happen. She couldn't believe that he was bouncing up and down in his seat with drool dribbling down his chin. Instead, Naruto was sitting calmly and patiently looking over the menu.

"After we eat, we can go to your apartment and maybe that will trigger something," Sakura stated with a light shrug. The blond turned to her and nodded his head, saying that sounded like a plan. Smiling weakly, Sakura bit her lip and looked at Naruto curiously. He just didn't seem like her Naruto, the Naruto she admired and loved. This one seemed a bit too toned down and relaxed. She couldn't believe she was thinking it, but she wanted him to be obnoxious and boisterous and frequently annoying.

"So I came here often?" Naruto asked, folding up the menu and slipped it back into the holder on the bar.

"Oh yes, you were my best customer," the old man cooking their ramen stated with a bright smile. "You came in everyday almost, everyone would always come here first to find you." Teuchi plated their ramen and placed them down before them.

Naruto thanked him and glanced at Sakura who was handing him some chopsticks. Smiling at her, Naruto took the chopsticks and they both said thanks for their food before digging in. Sakura watched him curiously as he ate his food quietly and steadily rather than shoveling it in his mouth. She blinked several times and quickly turned away when he caught her watching him. He sat up a bit straighter and tilted his head curiously.

"Is something wrong, Sakura?" he asked her and she looked back at him, shaking her head. "You seem sad," he pointed out and Sakura opened her mouth, but quickly closed it. She wasn't really sad, she just didn't know what to think.

"I'm just thinking," she assured him and slurped up some of her ramen noodles. Naruto turned back to his food and ate it quietly. He couldn't deny that it tasted great and he would probably eat it a few times a week, but he couldn't imagine eating this every day. His mind was so blank though, he couldn't remember that girl from the flower shop, the old man and his daughter, nor could he remember the girl beside him. He couldn't believe that he would ever forget such a pretty face.

"I'm sorry, I'm not the Naruto you know," the blond said suddenly and Sakura looked at him in surprise. "I wish I could be him again, it's not cool sitting by such a pretty girl who is all sad looking. Were we together or something?"

Sakura stared at him with her mouth agape. "No, we weren't," Sakura answered truthfully. For some reason saying that made her feel a bit weird, but she wasn't really sure why. "We were just friends." She looked at him and smiled.

"Just friends?" Naruto repeated. "I don't think I could ever be just friends with you."

Sakura blushed wildly, this was a side of Naruto she never knew. Flirty and so straight forward, no beating around the bush at all. It was a little strange, but at the same time she kind of liked it.

"Well, we were," Sakura stifled a laugh as she spoke to him and blinked a few times when he edged closer to her, examining her like she was a piece of meat. She suddenly felt very self conscious and the air in her lungs hitched when he gently brushed her hair behind her ear. "What are you doing?" she asked nervously.

"Nothing," Naruto said with a smile and she stared at him. This was all new to her, it was like meeting a brand new person. If the Naruto she knew had done that she'd probably punch him straight out of the restaurant. However this Naruto had so much intensity to him, the old Naruto was only like this on the battlefield any other time he was a goof.

"I can't really tell if I like you or the old Naruto more," Sakura said with a chuckle as she slurped on a few more noodles.

"Hopefully you like the old one more," Naruto said and Sakura furrowed her brows in confusion. "Because that's the one you know and care about, I'm not him."

Those words struck her deeper than she expected they would. He had a point their the Naruto she knew was gone and it was uncertain if he would ever return. Part of her felt a little heartbroken thinking that she would never be able to talk to that Naruto again. She swallowed hard and took in a sharp breath, pushing away from the bar and slipped off her seat. He watched her go and thanked the old man for the food once more before he followed after Sakura.

When he walked out of the booth, he saw Sakura by a light post. She was leaning against it and her head was hanging between her shoulders. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and slowly approached the girl. As he stood beside her, Sakura let out a breath and apologized for taking off so suddenly. The words that he had said back there though had really hit her like a brick wall. If Naruto couldn't get his memories back he would never be the same, everything he was was just gone. This new Naruto could never be the Naruto she knew.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked her, sounding genuinely concerned.

A smile came to her face, he sounded like the old Naruto there. "You just gave me a lot to think about," Sakura admitted to him and met his gaze. He was staring at her with intrigue and fascination. "What if your memories don't come back?" she asked him softly and he sighed.

"I don't know, what will you do? Cause there's nothing I can do about it," Naruto said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't you want your memories back?" Sakura asked him, straightening up.

"I'm not sure," Naruto said and Sakura looked away from him. She wasn't sure what to think about that answer. "Maybe I'll feel differently later, but right now I honestly don't know." He shrugged his shoulders and Sakura looked back at him, nodding her head slowly. She stood directly in front of him and put her hands on his face, gently stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. He stared at her, looking deeply into her eyes as she looked up to him.

"The Naruto I knew, was compassionate and determined, I really admired him," she said with a smile, slowly pulling her hands away, but Naruto grabbed hold of her hands and brought them back to his face. She furrowed her brows and smiled weakly as he traced her face with his eyes.

"You loved him," Naruto said and she took in a sharp breath, nodding her head.

"Yeah, I loved him," she agreed.

He let go of her hands and Sakura dropped her own seconds later. Clearing her throat, Sakura stepped back from him and pointed down the street that led to his apartment. She said they should go look through his things to see if it would help. He nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. Smiling at him, Sakura started walking down the sidewalk with Naruto right beside her.

"So tell me about...me?" Naruto guessed, wanting to break the silence between them. Sakura laughed lightly, there was so much to cover and she didn't even know where to start. "I liked the color orange and I liked ramen, but what else was there to know about me. You also said I was a dolt and apparently compassionate and determined." He looked at her waiting for her to say something.

"Well you were a bit of a loud-mouth and a slob, you were a hero, and you had this way of changing people," Sakura explained almost proudly, which made Naruto raise a brow. "You were a terrible busy-body, but it was almost a redeeming quality because you cared so much and so deeply for your friends."

"I sound like a schmuck," Naruto joked.

"No...well...sometimes," Sakura laughed lightly and Naruto started laughing too. "I'm just kidding, you were a great person, honestly." She patted his back and Naruto let out a breath, nodding his head in understanding.

"Well at least I was a good person," Naruto said and Sakura smiled.

"You really were," she assured him.


	5. The Photographs

**Author's Note:** Hey there everyone, glad to know you are all enjoying this story so far, I hope to continue to provide a fun read! Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but I promise the next one will be longer. Enjoy!

* * *

**The Photographs**

Naruto was flipping through a photo album he had found on his book shelf. He had sat down on the foot of his bed and looked at each picture carefully. His blue eyes studied every face in every photograph. Titling his head, Naruto looked at one of Sakura in a white sundress, standing beside a man with pitch black hair and equally dark eyes. To Naruto he didn't seem very happy at all, in fact he looked a bit melancholy. Blinking, Naruto moved on to another photo and smiled. He wasn't sure why he started smiling, it just felt right.

No memories had returned to him even after spending an hour in his apartment, looking through photos, books, clothing, even a journal. Everything was so foreign to him and it was beginning to get to him. Waking up and not knowing who you are, where you were going, or what's happened to you was terrifying. While he hadn't seemed to be bothered by it at first, the deeper he searched into his supposed past life, the more confused and angry he back.

Snapping the photo album closed, Naruto placed it on his bed and stood up. His apartment had been messy upon his and Sakura's arrival. Clothes were strewn in various places, there were dirty dishes in the sink, the bed hadn't been made, and there were old cups of instant ramen overflowing from his trashcan. Obviously Sakura hadn't been lying about his love for ramen, he had stockpiled quite a bit in his cabinets.

"Remember anything yet?" Sakura questioned as she strolled into his room, drying her hands with a dish towel. Throwing it over her shoulder, she smiled at Naruto but it faded quickly. She could see the look of frustration on his face and the weariness in his eyes. Sakura was afraid that this would happen, everything he was learning was beginning to overwhelm him. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, hating to see him look so upset.

Naruto buried his face in his hands and groaned. Dropping his hands down onto his knees, the blond looked at Sakura and shrugged his shoulders. "How would you feel? Waking up and knowing absolutely nothing about yourself or your past? Places and people don't make any sense and it's just a big blur, no matter what you do...you just can't remember?" he inquired in a serious voice.

Sakura sat down beside him and remained silent. She couldn't even begin to imagine how difficult it had to be, nor did she know what to tell him. All she could do was listen to him and try her best to help him regain his memories. Her green eyes drifted to his face and she could see the loss glowing in his eyes. To Sakura it felt like the Naruto she knew was slowly drifting away and giving way to this new Naruto.

"I'm sorry all this happened to you," Sakura said after a few moments of silence. They looked at each other and Sakura gave him a comforting smile. "I promise that we, meaning your friends and I, will do everything we can to help." She placed her hand on his and Naruto smiled, taking hold of her hand.

He squeezed it as a way to say thanks and for some reason, Sakura's heart began racing. She could feel her cheeks heating up and bit her lip. Naruto looked at her and cleared his throat, letting go of her hand. He stood up a second later and walked over to the bookshelf. On the row that was eye level was a photo of himself, Sakura, the boy with dark hair, and an older man with a mask. He grabbed the photo and turned to look back at Sakura.

"Is this your team?" Naruto asked, showing the picture to her.

"Our team," Sakura corrected with a soft smile. "You were apart of it too."

"Who are the others?" he asked, placing the picture back on the shelf.

"Sasuke and Kakashi," she answered, looking into Naruto's eyes. She crossed one leg over the other and leaned back on the palms of her hands. "You and Sasuke were rivals, always have been. You're also best friends though and Kakashi, he's our sensei. He taught us a lot of valuable lessons, one in particular you cherish greatly."

"Which is?" he pressed with a head tilt as he walked back over to her. He stood a step away from her, looking down with intrigue.

"That people who break the rules are scum," Sakura began, "but people who abandon their friends are even worse than scum." She looked away from him like she was hiding something from him.

Naruto stared at Sakura for a few moments before holding his hand out to her. She stared at his hand for a few moments before looking up to his face. He smiled and Sakura placed her hand in his. Effortlessly, Naruto pulled Sakura up to her feet and she gasped. Her body was pressed up against his and it made her stop breathing. The way his blue eyes were gazing at her, it was simply mesmerizing. She cleared her throat and licked her lips, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Do you know what happened to me?" Naruto asked her.

"What do you mean?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

"The reason I lost my memories, do you know how that happened?" he clarified, still holding to her hand. She sucked in a breath and Naruto raised a brow. "Sakura."

"You were protecting me," Sakura answered. "You fell and hit your head, you were bleeding and I was trying to heal you. The enemy came again and out of blind instinct, you saved me again." She looked so sad as she told him the story and Naruto could feel her guilt.

He swallowed hard and lifted his hand to her face, rubbing his thumb over her smooth skin. She closed her eyes to his touch and turned towards the warmth. Naruto smiled and let out a breath, telling her to not feel guilty about it. The pinkette stifled a laugh and he knew that it was easier said than done.

"Why don't we...uh...go walk around the village? Maybe going to our training ground will bring back your memories," Sakura suggested with a shrug and Naruto stepped back from her, nodding in agreement. "Great."

"Can I ask you something?" he questioned as Sakura started to walk away. She turned around to look at him and nodded her head. "If I don't get my memories back, are you going to treat me any differently than the Naruto you knew?"

Sakura didn't know how to answer that.

"Because what if I am never that Naruto again?" he pressed and Sakura bit her lip, she understood his point. "Is it so important that I am this Naruto?" He pointed to the photo on the bookshelf and Sakura pressed her lips together in a tight line.

"No, it isn't," Sakura answered honestly. "As long as you are my friend and you are happy...that's all I want, and whether you are the Naruto I know, or this new one, I will be your friend." She smiled at him and he returned it with a single nod.

"Then let's not try to get my memories back, if they are meant to come back they will."

"Okay, then what do you want to do?" she asked and Naruto's lips curved into a smirk.


	6. Food Extravaganza

**Author's Note:** So sorry for the wait everyone one, been busy preparing for final project coming up at the start of December. Anyways, please enjoy!

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**Food Extravaganza**

"Chocolate whipped cream infused with alcohol?" Sakura read off of a can and looked over at Naruto, who was digging through four bags of food he had purchased. She still wasn't exactly sure what the hell he was planning, but she was starting to get a little worried. That injury to his head may have been a lot worse than they thought. "What is this for?" she asked, showing him the can of whip cream.

Naruto looked at her and smiled. "What do you want it to be for?" he inquired, wiggling his brows.

Sakura's lips were in a tight line by this point. This Naruto was so bold, it was weird. Although, she found it quite amusing that he just said whatever he wanted, no censors whatsoever. She stifled a laugh and Naruto tossed a green apple to her. When she caught it, she stared at the shiny green surface before turning her attention back at him. Sakura gave him a questioning look.

"So here's what I was thinking," Naruto began and Sakura raised a brow at him. "We'll come up with some crazy dinner concoction and eat it until it's all gone." He started digging in the brown paper grocery bags. They crackled and wrinkled as he dug around inside and pulled out a bag of flour, eggs, vanilla extract, pickles, bell peppers, and different kinds of seasonings.

Sakura looked at all the items he had bought, completely bewilder. "You aren't wanting to mix all of this are you?" she asked, hoping that his answer would be no.

"Well duh!" Naruto laughed as he started looking in various drawers and cabinets for cooking equipment. "You asked what I wanted to do, this is it." He beamed at her and Sakura could already feel her stomach doing flip-flops at the thought of eating whatever they would make.

"How in the world did you come up with this idea?" Sakura asked, completely appalled. "The savior of the shinobi world is now...heck, I don't even know." She shook her head and watched him bring out bowls, spatulas, and beaters.

"Savior of the shinobi world?" Naruto repeated in question, staring at the pinkette at the other end of the counter in confusion. "I saved the world?" he pressed, sounding shocked and amazed.

"Yeah," Sakura answered with a nod and smile. "Well you and a few others, but you led the charge." She stared at him and watched the colors of his eyes become a little darker. Tilting her head, Sakura tried to figure out what he was thinking, but she couldn't seem to read him at all.

He bite his lip and ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn't believe he was an all-powerful shinobi that saved the world. His eyes lifted to Sakura's pretty green ones, and he could see her worry. She had been giving him that look ever since they left the hospital. It was a look of worry and concern. Naruto wasn't sure what to make of any of it, he just kept drawing blanks in his mind. All of it was just so empty and nothing was making anything come back.

"You saved a lot of people," Sakura explained to him. "Your determination and love, saved everyone."

"Is it weird for me to say that I don't want to know?" Naruto asked her and she stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "Good, because I think we should take it one step at a time."

"Why don't we make...whatever this will be, and we start from the very beginning?" Sakura tried, knowing that easing Naruto into his past was better than just bombarding him with everything. They had so much to cover and Sakura was certain the more he learned the more afraid he would be.

"How about today we just be...you and me," Naruto began and Sakura tilted her head. "And tomorrow, we can cover who I was or am or whatever. There's this feeling inside, telling me that whoever I was in the past just wants to...be with you." He gave her a soft smile and she returned it.

"Okay, I can do that," Sakura agreed with a nod.

Giving her a thumbs up, Naruto cleared his throat and looked at everything laying out on the counter. "So what can we make with all of this?" he wondered aloud, staring at the food items and tapped his chin with his index finger.

Sakura scrunched up her nose when she looked at everything, nothing good would come of all this food. "Pizza."

"Pizza?" Naruto said in question. "Pizza...yeah, let's make a pizza." He clapped his hands together and stared at the food. He had no idea where to start, nor did he know how to make the bread for it.

"Let's make the bread first," Sakura said with a smile.

"Let's put in chocolate chips," Naruto chimed as he reached into a bag, pulling out package of chocolate chips. "We can make it dessert like."

"With bell peppers and cajun seasoning?" Sakura questioned as she held up one of the seasoning jars and a red and green bell pepper. "What kind of dessert are you thinking of?" she chortled with an eye roll.

"I'm just going with my instincts," Naruto explained with her with a wink.

"Oh, your instincts," Sakura mumbled with a shake of her head. "My gut is saying, you're going to be so sick."

"We can make a pepper zest," Naruto said with a snap of his fingers.

"So that's what you are? A chef, not a shinobi," Sakura chuckled as she went over to a cabinet and pulled out a cookie sheet. "I gotta say, I would have figured it'd be a ramen pizza."

"Now that sounds gross," Naruto joked sarcastically, causing Sakura to laugh.

"Yeah, because chocolate crust pizza with bell pepper zest sounded amazing," Sakura retorted, laying the pan down on the counter after she moved everything aside. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. "If I get sick...and die...I'm coming back to haunt you." Sakura pointed a finger at him and waved it inches from his face, causing him to back away slowly.

"Well, that's alright, I like when people come to visit," Naruto teased with a smirk, which was surprisingly seductive and attractive.

"Oh brother, let's just do this," Sakura said with a snort. "First we have to whip everything together then we'll beat it."

"Well yeah, it'll make you sick if you abuse it like that," Naruto quipped, causing Sakura to slap a hand to her forehead. She began laughing and Naruto joined her in the fits of laughter.

In a way, even though Naruto had lost his memory, Sakura still felt like the real him was in there. He was still stupid and goofy and brash, but now he was a bit calmer and bolder. And for some reason, Sakura slowly found herself growing attached to him. His handsome smile was slowly breaking her down and the sound of his laugh was warming her heart. Sakura didn't know what was happening just yet, but she was liking it.

* * *

Naruto and Sakura were cleaning up the mess they -Naruto- had made while making their pizza. Sakura ended up calling it a 'Frankenstein Pizza' because they pretty much threw a little bit of everything onto the pizza. The apartment started smelling a little funky too, probably because Naruto insisted on adding anchovies and pickled plums. The thought of that already had Sakura wanting to vomit. She was pretty sure when they would eat it...they would die.

Since Sakura seemed so caught up in her own mind and thoughts, Naruto took this as the perfect time to attack. Carefully reaching for the hose nozzle on the sink, Naruto casually pointed it at Sakura and pressed down on the trigger. Water spewed out of the nozzle and hit Sakura in the face and neck. She yelped and squealed, jumping away from him. Naruto burst out laughing and Sakura glared at him, he kind demeanor turning violent and hostile.

"You jerk!" Sakura snapped, twirling the dish rag in her hands. She tried to whack him with it, but he jumped back and pulled the trigger again. Squealing, Sakura tried to grab it from him, only to end up getting even more soaked. "Stop it! Stop!" Sakura begged when he managed to rip her hands away and pinned them above her head.

"I win," Naruto said with a triumphant smile, looking down at Sakura. He had her pressed up against the counter, her hands above her head, their bodies mere inches apart. Her green eyes were peering into his alluring and dazzling blue pools. He cleared his throat and let go of her wrist and took a step back and let go of the sprayer. His eyes looked from Sakura's face to the window behind her. "It's raining," he commented.

Sakura looked down at the ground and slowly turned around. Just as Naruto had said, it was raining outside, hard. Her eyes drifted away from the window to the sprayer nozzle. Smirking, Sakura reached for it in a swift motion, spun around, and started spraying Naruto.

"You little minx!" Naruto laughed as he tried his best to block the spray of the water. Sakura was laughing, so hard she almost wasn't breathing. "You're gonna get it!" Naruto declared as he lunged for the pinkette.

Sakura screamed and dropped the sprayer, running out of the kitchen. The blond boy was hot on her trail, reaching out for her. They got over to the living room, Sakura was standing on one side of the coffee table and Naruto on the other. Sakura was panting and Naruto was watching her movements, trying to figure what her next move would be. He saw her eyes flick to the right and just as she was about to move, Naruto climbed over the coffee table and caught her.

Sakura began laughing and kicking her legs, attempting to break free from his strong grip. He didn't budge though, no matter how hard she tried. If she really wanted to get free though, she could use her super strength, but this seemed like more fun. She giggled when Naruto pulled her closer to him and spun her around in the middle of the living room. Her legs dangled as he kept her off the ground. The next thing she knew, Naruto was adjusting his hold on her and tossed her over his shoulder.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelped, feeling as though he was going to drop her.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to drop you," Naruto assured her.

A moment after Naruto had said those words, thunder boomed and the apartment shook. He stopped walking and looked up as the lights turned off. They were shrouded in darkness with only the flashing of lightning through the windows, lighting their way. For fear of bumping into something and dropping Sakura, the blond put her down carefully.

"Hopefully Frankenstein is finished," Sakura said when she felt her feet touch the ground. She was about to start walking when thunder boomed again and rattled the house. Swallowing hard, Sakura trembled a bit. "Let's get some candles or something on."

"Are you afraid of the dark?" Naruto asked when she didn't move far from him.

"No, I don't like it when thunder is so loud, it freaks me out," she explained, biting her lip. Once again, thunder roared outside the window and Sakura closed her eyes. She felt Naruto's hand on the small of her back and arched slightly at his touch.

"You're a shinobi," Naruto said. "It's your job to not be scared."

"Says the boy who cried like a baby on the mission to investigate a demon haunting a temple in the mountain side," Sakura muttered under her breath and Naruto raised a brow. Thunder cracked in the sky, causing a bright white glow to flash through the window. Sakura closed her eyes tightly and let out a breath, trying to calm her nerves. "Flash lights or candles," Sakura breathed as she carefully walked off, only to freeze in place when thunder rolled again. She shook her head and shivered as the lightning flashed, the wind raged, and the water splattered against the windows loudly.

"Come on," Naruto encouraged as he put his arm around her, leading her to the kitchen. "Let's check on Frankenstein."

When they got into the kitchen, Naruto and Sakura had set up a couple of candles and a flashlight around the kitchen. The room was now dimly lit, almost in a romantic sense. Sakura turned to look at Naruto, who asked if she was ready to check on their pizza creation. Nodding her head, Sakura told him to open up the oven. Kneeling on the ground, Naruto reached into the stove and wrapped one hand in a dish towel. Grasping the cookie sheet inside, Naruto pulled it out carefully and laid it on the counter.

"Oh my goodness," Sakura gasped as she looked at the pizza.

It looked awful. There was no way they could eat that without throwing it all right back up. They had put a little bit of everything on it, mostly fruits, but they also had spices and vegetables, and Naruto had insisted on putting some beef with sautéed peas and onions.

"Wait, we're missing something," Naruto stated, turning around to look at the fridge.

"Oh yeah, can't forget the whipped cream, as if it doesn't look deadly enough," Sakura commented as she watched the blond spray the chocolate whipped cream along the top of the pizza. She shook her head when he finished and took a knife, cutting her a piece and one for him.

"Okay at the same time," Naruto said with a smile, handing her a slice.

Sakura took the slice and gulped as she lifted it up to her mouth. They both counted down to one and each took a bite. Sakura closed her eyes tightly and tried her best not to gag, while Naruto seemed to be alright with it.

"This taste like feet."

"I like it," Naruto beamed as he stuffed more into his mouth.


End file.
